The microphone arrangement in a hands-free system for automotive vehicles presents problems with respect to optimum speech communication because the microphone, on the one hand, should record the voice of the person speaking on the phone as clearly as possible and, on the other hand, record as little as possible undesired noise that is unavoidable in an automotive vehicle.
DE 197 51 920 A1 discloses such a hands-free system including a microphone carrier that is mounted in the vehicle and holds the microphone in the operative position near the head of the person talking on the phone. To this end there is provided a bridge which can be inserted between the two holding rods of the headrest and has seated thereon a gooseneck with a microphone that can be adjusted near the driver's mouth so that it is directly hit by the sound of the voice. When the driver is not talking on the phone, he can bend the gooseneck to the side and rearwards, so that he will not be irritated by the same.
Microphone mountings with arms or gooseneck microphones often have an irritating effect and it is troublesome to adjust their necessary optimum position each time. It has been suggested that a hands-free microphone should be mounted on the seat belt so that when the seat belt is fastened it will automatically pass into a position in which a clear speech communication is possible.